Techstars, Fondazione Compagnia di San Paolo, Fondazione CRT and Intesa Sanpaolo Innovation Center launch the new edition of the Techstars Smart Mobility Accelerator, the first start-up acceleration programme in Europe dedicated to smart mobility. The programme will take place at OGR Tech, the international innovation hub of Officine Grandi Riparazioni, former train repair workshops redeveloped by Fondazione CRT – where the start-ups selected will also enjoy the strategic support of mentors and managers with significant experience in the sector.

The focus will be on smart mobility, in particular technologies that improve the circulation of goods, people and services, technologies related to Smart Cities, Smart Infrastructure and Smart Environments, including areas such as Artificial Intelligence, Big Data, IoT, Blockchain, VR/AR, robotics and Circular Economy.

“At OGR Tech we are looking to the future by investing in smart mobility, a sector that is increasingly strategic for the country and globally, especially after the Covid-19 pandemic, which has imposed a quick rethink and the pursuit of an efficient, sustainable and responsible transformation of the mobility chain of people, goods, services and data” – says Massimo Lapucci General Secretary of Fondazione CRT and General Manager of OGR – “By aiding the growth of 12 new start-ups among the best in the world, in addition to the 11 already accelerated by Techstars in the first year of the programme, OGR Tech will be able to carry out projects intended to improve people's lives, forerunning change and strengthening Turin's role on the international innovation map”.

The first edition of the three-year programme accelerated 11 startups in 13 weeks, involving over 120 mentors and it was divided into three phases: mentoring, growth and investments, which were dedicated to listening, discussing, developing and studying business and marketing models. The 11 best startups, selected internationally from hundreds in 55 countries around the world - from Italy to the United States, from Canada to the United Arab Emirates, from the United Kingdom to Israel, from Singapore to India, from Germany to Russia - presented a wide range of projects: from shared micromobility systems for companies, already successfully tested during the international health emergency, to charging networks for next-generation electric vehicles, from vehicle-integrated technologies that automate the whole driving experience – including parking, tolls and insurance – to sensors for skiers' safety against avalanches, broadening the sectors and industries involved.

The programme was launched within the partnership established a year ago among Techstars, Fondazione Compagnia di San Paolo, Fondazione CRT and Intesa Sanpaolo Innovation Center to promote the development of the city of Turin as an international ecosystem for innovation and its affirmation as a successful model in Italy and Europe.

The project manager will be Martin Olczyk, Managing Director of previous Techstars acceleration programmes, an expert in the field of innovation and startups, especially in early-stage technological investments, supported by Program Manager Antonio M. Pisante, an expert in Business Growth & Development.

Fondazione Compagnia di Sanpaolo, Fondazione CRT and Intesa Sanpaolo Innovation Center will support the initiative through their network of resources and skills to create opportunities for economic development and growth for the local and national innovative ecosystem.

Applications may be submitted from Monday, 20^th July to 11^th October 2020; the programme will be carried out from 25^th January to 22^nd April 2021, ending with Demo Day, an event to present the results achieved to an audience of venture capitalists, business angels, investors, entrepreneurs and institutions, and raise the necessary funding to get their ideas off the ground.

Startuppers interested can find further information at the following link: https://www.techstars.com/programs/smart-mobility-program